Amy (pic & drawing)

I have been eager to draw some of the photos that i had stored for some time. I recently ran across a picture of Amy. Amy is a lady from California that was pretty and funny enough to hold her own on the Chelsea Lately Show. At first i wanted to do something more classic and simply have a pencil drawing which didn't turn out to well so i switched to charcoal which is simple but displays greater value of tones.

Norfolk Drawing Group XV (i had a fight w/ my pencil)

It was my normal outing at the Norfolk Drawing Group. I look at my final drawings and i see that my drawing could be a little tighter and a little more reformed when it comes to my line work and control. My shading isn't terrible but I'm not very happy with it at the same time. I attempted to draw one of my friends online and i was unable to because my shading was up to par. I tired to used a pencil because in the past that use to be my bread and butter but in the same breathe it shows that i haven't used or worked it the same way i use to in the past. I need to go back to the drawing board. :-(

"Dogg the Bounty Hunter & the N Word"(pic & drawing)

It's been a while since I've drawn/painted a piece that pushed the envelope just a little bit on what is normally my tame style of drawing. I like to venture to the edge even sometimes going over it to show that some things to show that there's a darker humor that few see. For those of you who aren't aware of it. Dog the Bounty Hunter from the A&E show was recorded on tape saying the "N-word" numerous times and ultimately lost his show because of it (shortly). I remembered watching his interview on Larry King Live and listening to him explain how he was working on correcting his language and behavior. Since seeing that show i wanted to make a piece related to his experience. Just recently i found a picture worth drawing of him and even more recently i decided the time was correct to do so. I won't get into my own theory and beliefs about the "n- word" but instead allow everyone to make up their own opinion.

Cara's dad

This is the 2nd part of the picture that originally started off as being a single commission drawing. The thing i like most about this drawing is the way the image radiates from the inside out. If you look at it the drawing the close it gets to the edges the more it fades into the background of the paper. The weird thing is that this drawing took less time to do than the first one. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that i was hyped up on caffeine pills.

Each Line does have Value

I'm not a master drawer or anything remotely close to it but i do enjoy drawing people. Each drawing has it's own challenges and problems that need some type of sorting out. I guess you can say i have a small sense of accomplishment when everything works out. It feels good to know that my artwork has enough value that people are willing to pay for. For the moment at least i'm on a roll. This will be my 2nd commission this month.

"She was the Shy One"

I ran across this picture when on a friends website from the drawing group. I'm drawn to pictures that show emotion. My take on this photo is that it's good to be shy sometimes. I am a very quiet and removed person overall. I fumbled around trying to figure out when or what materials i would use to draw it and it more or less simply happened.

Norfolk Drawing Group XIV

It's been a while since I've been to Norfolk Drawing Group. Two weeks go by pretty quickly and honestly i missed it and more importantly i missed the people. This was our model Ashley. I know way to many Ashley but she was an excellent model. I think overall it went rather well minus the middle picture. The drawing in the middle on the left didn't turn out to well. After drawing we normally go to a drinking spot but instead we made it to 2 drinking spots. All for the sake of keeping the group together. The very second highlight of the night was watching Boston win a championship for Paul Pieces, Ray Allen and Kevin Garrett. If any 3 NBA all stars deserved it was them.

"White Tiger"

I enjoy using charcoal because it allows me to work quickly and it require little or no real work at all. It may sound strange but this picture actually drew itself. All i did was add and subtract dark areas. That is one of the benefits of going to the Norfolk Drawing Group for teaching on to work quickly. This is a commission that i did for a lady i know for father's day. I need to be on the ball because i have 2 more pieces that i want to get start on and have done before the week is out.

Vacation Time is NOW O V E R

i haven't drawn with this type of pastels in a while but i found a picture of KG from the Boston Celtics that i couldn't help but to draw.

This is a sketch from a future drawing that i plan on doing from American Psycho
Without a doubt one of my favorite Victoria Secret models. Adriana Lima is in a class all of her own.
when you have plenty of time to kill in the airport a person like me mind tends to drift. On the left is a cartoon version of myself.


Vacations never seem to last as long as we all hope that they would. 5 days is never long enough of a break. I did something that i always wanted to do this past week. i went to Cedar Point in Ohio. For most people they have no clue what Cedar Point is but for people who are die hard roller coaster fans, it's the capital of the amusement park world. I conquered it because i said that was something i was going to do. The best part of all is that i did it with my best friends. How many times can people say that? It was a trip that have more stories than this blog could hold. Maybe one day it'll show up in my art work.

Why Tommy AD?

sketches of Dianna.
sketches of Crystle
sketches one Ashley & Meagan. it just goes to show that some sketches turn out better than others.

My "Shell of Former Me" blog was a very truthful and to the point. There were some things that i left out. The most important one being that i have a job. This job forces me to be someone other than myself. I am an artist that requires me to be expressive. I can't be as open or truthful with myself while at work. I can't tell a customer that they are getting on my nerves or tell the people i work with that they aren't thinking clearly. I'm unable to say any of that. Therefor i am a shell of my former self. That's the worst part about being a manager i am now "Corporate Thomas". i can't even really call myself Tommy in that aspect any more. Over the past months I've lost touch of friends and even made some enemies because i have yet to find the proper balance.

I also had someone ask me why i call myself, Tommy AD. It mostly was due to my past relationship that forced me to evolve. The person i was before then allowed a lot of things to happen that went without being questioned. I realized that it couldn't happen any more and i started to make changes that would allow me to be someone better than i was before. If anyone knows me i allows wear a ring on my left hand that reminds me that i can't be taken advantage of again.

With that being said i also found something very interesting. I found a poem that i was suppose to post a while ago. This poem is untitled but what i feel best describes my personal life as well as the energy i draw with.

Untitled

Can you see this void in my mahogany eyes?

My soul has been hit repeatedly this season by hurricanes swimming off the coast.

Back then i use to raise my glass to her high in a toast.

Now each night i light a candle on the mantle wishing the light will lead her home.

It's seems to have all been a one-way crush that she's out grown.

A gaping hole that extends to the depths of the core.

Believe it or not but to me she was my Rushmore.

"Rain Rain" & "Rays of Light" pic & drawings

The idea from "Ray of Light" came about because Dianna who i use to work with asked me to draw something that more or less embodied her. At first my impression was to do something more abstract with the colors of the summer and sun. My mind hasn't allowed me to break away from drawing people without falling closely to details as possible. Not to long ago i drew Melody playing off the fact that she has long curly flowing hair. I planned on doing something similar with Dianna with her simply having long hair but this is what turned out instead. I also placed 3 circles in the picture to represent the 3 children that she has. Of course the title is a Madonna song..lol

It's Tues morning and this marks day # 6 in a row working straight at Old Navy. Management is funny like that, you think most people would say hey you're going on a vacation take it easy before the trip or at least say that when you get back but not here. They work you, then they work you some more. That's a whole other story that will probably never grace this blog. Yesterday while waiting to go to the movies i finished these 2 pieces one of which I've kind of been struggling.




What else can i say about Ashley V expect i enjoy raiding her photo album?! I saw this picture originally and i wanted to make it close to being realistic as possible only using a black permanent marker. If anyone hasn't seen the movie Sin City. I'm a big fan of the artist's Frank Miller who created that movie style of drawing. I referenced his book to come up with a drawing style somewhat that is both his but more my own. What really took me so long was to decide who exactly i wanted to create the rain in the background because it's wasn't as easy as i would hope only using markers. The more i look at it the more i say it possibly could work even better in my next drawing. The title "Rain Rain" comes from the children's song most of us song while we were young 'rain rain go away come again another day"

Coy; Crystle ( pic and drawing)

There are things that i'm very proud about working at Old Navy and one of the biggest ones is working with wonderful people. I have meet friends there that i can't replace for the world. One of the most interesting women that i've been this past year has been Crystle Fonda. I just call her "Fonda". Some people you meet in life have a wonderful personality and a great sense of humor. Those things allow her to be very personal with customers. I really shouldn't say it's a funny thing but an amazing things is to watch other guys react to her. I wont' pretend that she isn't an attractive girl but the way guys walking by literally almost break their neck to get a glance at her is funny. Even the married ones with the kids and family there will still stretch and crane their necks to get a glance. It is a good thing or bad thing? i'm not sure because i have yet to ask Fonda how she feels about it. This picture i found why raiding her photos. I thought the picture embodied the idea of her personality.

Shell of the Former Me

This blog is set to be all over the place but i'll try to keep some order in my writing. This past Sun i went to go watch the new Indiana Jones with some friends only to realize the movie didn't live up to all the hype. It was just as weird and strange and the eventing afterwards were. Before then i had taken some caffeine pills to ensure that i would actually be awake. I had went to see the latest installment of Chronicles of Narnia and i continuously would dose off from time to time. I've had issues with one of my friends in the past and i tried my best to address it outside of the group. The individual didn't want to be addressed, what else can i do. I don't make it a habit of being fake towards people. i have to do that enough at work towards customers. After the movie everyone exchanged awkward goodbyes. That was part of the bad things that came out of the caffeine pill but the good thing is that i had a chance to watch a movie i never heard of before. The Last Affair had beautiful quotes and ideas that drove my artist side into overdue with ways of expressing emotions. It's just sad that i didn't get to watch it from the beginning.
Mon was a holiday and i did my time at work and came home to a house full of people because my family was having a cookout. I was so tired and frustrated that i didn't even want to be bothered with anyone so i went straight to sleep around 7pm. It's kind of hard to explain to people that sometimes i simply want to be left alone. I enjoy not feeling the pressures to deal with others.
Tues flew by as well and before i knew it i was at my normal drawing session. By the time i had reached there my moody funk had taken full swing. Normally this is one of the happiest moments of the week but instead it was just the opposite. I was there and i was drawing but i wasn't myself. All the drawings i was during were a little less than what i would expect. I want to blame it on the new markers i was trying out or the positions i had set up in. There's no true reason for me to be in an artistic funk as i was. My 1st instinct was to leave but i forced myself to stay until the end. Well before the last timer had went off for the final pose i was well on my way out the door.

"Don't Pout" (pic & drawing)

I'm fascinated by the art nuevo style. The swirls and circles create captivating lines that play on the ideas of design. Before i went into teaching my 1st go around in college, i wanted to get a degree in art advertising. Norfolk State didn't offer that as a course therefor i went with my second passion which is teaching. That's a whole other story all together.
I stumped upon this picture because one day i had noticed that my friend Melody changed her myspace profile picture. The picture was taken in what seemed to be a photo booth type of various facial expression. This is the only one i was able to get a copy of. It's no secret that I em joy drawing girls who have long hair. This drawing plays off art nuevo's style of idea allowing me to put a stronger focus on her hair.

The Sunday Post: Art Exchange

as always if you have time show her some love.
MySpace.com - lertsis - 22 - Female - www.myspace.com/lertsis

I think it's interesting to see find out what other people think of you when they see your work. Or what imagines they've created in their mind of who you really are. I'm amazed by my friend Letrsis's art work. I think her work is not only very emotional, but fun, and free spirited. The images and colors take a mind all of their own. The medium that she uses whether it's crayon, pattern or cotton have flow throughout her piece. So i thought it would be interesting to see what i would look like as one of her characters. For some artist that could be a very challenging request, but before i knew it i had my very own Letrsis Tommy drawing.
After seeing it i felt inspired. So i sat down and sketched out a couple of designs that i thought would best respresent her as an artist. On the bottom is my attempt using her own traits to draw her.

Norfolk Drawing Group XII

It's a friday night and i'm thinking about being at work in less than 7 hrs and it's slightly upsetting. Life doesn't really give you enough time off sometimes. I drew so so drawing this past Tues night. Some of them are actually ok but i'm striving for something better something more concrete. So therefor i'm drawing and trying to practice to get my technique down to a science. Every art has their own technique or signature that they do well. I more or less get the impression that i'm still trying to find what works best for me. So i draw.

"She Wanted to Live off of Sunshine & Chocolate Bars"

This is my pre-Norfolk Drawing Group blog. Honestly i'm probably be late due to me writing this one, but since i finished this piece last night i wanted to post it. Last Fri night when i was in one of those creative/ emotional moods i movie caught my attention. Candy staring the late Heath Ledger was about a romance between a drug addicted poet and his artist girlfriend that went terribly wrong. I was entranced by the movie because of the harsh reality of the way so many people loss their way in life. Love is a sensation that freezes time and everything before and after it will never be the same. The female lead in one of this drug fits wrote on the wall of her small country house of her first sensations of being in love. She stated that she wanted to live off of " chocolate bars and sunshine!" At first i thought that was funny but when i remembered what it felt like to be in love i knew it to be true. You will spend all day with someone that you in grossed with without even finding time to truly eat. So that's where the title comes from.
As you can imagine i am completely raiding my friend Ashley's photo gallery picking picture and picture to draw. This was so powerful in black in white that i saw myself doing something amazing with it. The brown swirls are suppose to represent chocolate while the circles are the sunlight. Thanks again Ashley.

"Oops!"

Some drawings you do are bigger than you are as an artist. Your emotions ask demandingly that you show yourself. A couple of months ago i ranted about a Broken Hearts Club drawings that i would be doing. I don't know if this is the end of it, but this is my story.

Those who know me understand that i am a very passionate person. I take certain things extremely serious in life. They aslo know i don't cry often even though i feel i should. I jokingly say my artwork are my tears so they will do all the things that i can't do. Yesterday was one of those days where all the emotion that i had inside was building up continuously. I brushed off the feeling that i knew eventually would set in. On the ride home i finally decided that i would finished this picture "Oops!"

The story behind how i stumbled onto this picture is interesting as well. I brought an art book almost a month ago and inside it they had an drawing that closely resembled this picture which i had take years ago. So fraintly i searched until it was found and began to sketch it out. I did this around the same time i was working on "Check Please!" I finished the other drawing/painting first because emotionally i wasn't prepared to invest myself in the process of creating it. I stared at it on my floor of my room knowing that one day i would have to tackle it. Even as i finished it i felt emotionally drained.

The story behind the pictures is another interesting one all together. I will tell the version of the story that i remember. It was the best weekend i have ever experienced in my life in Washington DC. One of those hot summer weekends when everything makes sense. I watched a movie early this morning and a character said she had the feeling that she could live off of "sunshine and chocolate" forever. That's how that weekend was.

Meagan

Yesterday at lunch i flirted with drawing some pictures while sitting in Panera. . Meagan is one of my former co-workers pictures that i took to lunch with me. I thought it was about time that i tried to draw someone i haven't drawn before. The first drawing i did in oil pastel was because i was more on an emotional high than anything else. I knew how blurry the picture was and i just wanted to be as loose as possible with the pastels. Of course i attempted to bring the drawing back to the form and structure i felt it needed but it didn't happy. It's just expressive!

The second drawing is exactly what i wanted it to turn out to be. I waned to use some black paper that i hadn't used in some time and this just so happened to be the moment that i could do so. I thought the idea of having a black and white drawing in reverse would be more interesting.